


We go where the road takes us

by bigCheese



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-05
Updated: 2017-02-15
Packaged: 2018-09-22 06:43:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9589295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bigCheese/pseuds/bigCheese
Summary: Tired of the dull, repetitive responsibilities of being king, Noctis decides to get away from it all for a while - and he drags Prompto along. While on the road, a new path in their relationship opens up to them.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just a quick explanation on the AU. Basically, everything that went wrong in the game is fixed (I'm not even finished with the thing, and idgaf what goes wrong, it ain't in this fic.) No one died, peace has returned, Noctis is king, and he didn't marry Luna.  
> Be warned that there will be Prompto crushing on Cindy in the beginning because rly we can't ignore the fact that the crush is there, but that will change.  
> Enjoy!

Once all the Empire-fighting, magical sword-slinging, and kingdom-reclaiming part of Noctis' adventure stood behind him, being a king turned out to be a surprisingly tremendous bore. It was a whole lot of paperwork, parleys, signing of treaties, more paperwork, listening to his ''royal subjects''' complaints, _more_ paperwork...Considering the way Noctis had made his way here – the fighting, the camping, the tapping into ancestral power – he hadn't expected monarchy to be _this_.

 

Honestly. It was more of a shock than anything, yet Ignis was surprised when Noctis questioned the third stack of paperwork that Ignis dropped off on his desk. _Certainly you didn't expect the responsibilities of a king were strictly fighting off threats and protecting the kingdom with a sword. You must do it with a pen, as well,_ Ignis had said.

 

Well. It would have been _nice_ if someone had told Noctis this beforehand. Noctis thought of his father, who'd left him to his own devices most of his life; leaving him an unassuming kid right up until the moment he kicked the bucket.

 

 _Thanks a lot, Dad,_ Noctis thought. A small moment passed, and he checked himself: _May you rest in peace._

 

Now, Noctis sat on his father's throne – _his_ throne – thinking for the billionth time that it was needlessly big. Two citizens of Insomnia knelt a respectable distance from the throne, laying out their squabble over goods before him. He was expected to mediate it, but he was barely listening. His eyes kept wandering off, trying to find spots in the throne room that he hadn't already spent hours scrutinizing. His eyes eventually settled on his guard.

 

There were two Crownsguard agents posted on either side of his throne; today, one of them happened to be Prompto. The bright-haired young man stood erect, determined to conduct his duty with pride – yet Noctis could tell that Prompto's flawless posture could crumble from effort at any minute. Prompto's shoulders trembled slightly, and his lips were pressed in a tight line. It was kind of funny.

 

 _Guess this has been an adjustment for all of us_ , Noctis thought as Citizen A's words drifted past his ears. _Too much time lounging in the car and slouching when we were out there, and now that won't fly._ Noctis fixed his own posture with a hint of frustration – he'd been about to slouch to the side.

 

He wondered if Prompto missed it: the adventuring, the open road, the fighting, with, of course, a fair amount of faffing about – planting carrots, fixing pylons despite having no expertise in the area, fishing, and so forth. Still, all that inane bullshit had been more fun than _this_ inane bullshit. Prompto had to miss it, too. He probably didn't miss the dungeons, but he had to miss the rest. It had been too much fun, even with all the bumps in the road.

 

Finally, realizing that the citizens were done making their case, Noctis gave them a very vague answer, and urged them to leave under the pretext that he had important, national-security-type business to attend to. Believing their handsome king without a doubt, the two subjects apologized profusely for wasting his time, and were escorted out of the throne room by one of the Crownsguard agents.

 

Before Prompto could accompany his fellow agent, Noctis held him back. ''Prompto, wait up.''

 

Prompto stopped abruptly in his tracks, turning to Noctis with a blink. ''Yes, your Highness?''

 

''Hey, I told you not to do that. It feels way too weird.''

 

''I know,'' Prompto grinned. ''It's funny seeing your face.''

 

Noctis gave him an annoyed stare, before shrugging, and hopping off his throne. He walked up to Prompto, and slung an arm around his shoulder, drawing him close to whisper, ''We're getting out of here tonight.''

 

''Huh?'' Prompto's face grew paler, and an incredulous look replaced the grin. ''What do you mean, _getting out of here_?''

 

''I mean, I can't stand being cooped up in here a minute longer, so we're going out.''

 

''Wh—Can you do that? Being the king and all.''

 

''Don't worry,'' Noctis answered self-assuredly. ''I'll leave Specs a note.''

 

***

''He is so going to wanna kill you in the morning,'' Prompto managed to get out, barely able to hold back a laugh.

 

''No way, he loves me too much.'' Noctis started writing out his note on a small piece of paper. ''Let's see...'Please take care of things while I'm gone. 'I'm'—uh—'making you Vice-King''' – at that, Prompto let out a breath of laughter and said _that's not even a thing! -_ while Noctis finished writing. ''Aaand 'Thanks, Iggy.' Should be good enough, right?''

 

In lieu of a reply, Prompto shook his head while his fit of laughter died down. ''God, I only wish I could see his face when he reads that.''

 

Noctis opened his mouth to argue, then paused. He realized, ''Me too.''

 

They looked at each other, laughter dancing in their eyes. It seemed like forever since they had catered to their need of silly shenanigans – let loose their inner child – and the fact that they did it together made it all the more special. At that moment, they both understood the other's need to have fun, consequences be damned. They knew, without speaking it aloud, that they'd stick together until they each got their fill.

 

Noctis slipped the note under the door to Ignis' quarters, and stood up, patting himself off. ''Alright. Next, we get the Regalia.''

 

It was nighttime, and Noctis had changed out of his royal garments in preparation. They made their way to the royal garage, sneaking past the Crownsguard making its rounds, and stifling titters of nervous laughter. They reached their destination at last, and spotted the ever illustrious Regalia not too far off.

 

The friends paused at the sight of the guards posted at the door, crouching behind a limousine to re-evaluate their strategy. Noctis looked around, until an idea dawned on him. ''How about you use Starshell to draw their attention?''

 

''Wha—That's for daemons!''

 

''It's a huge ball of fucking light! It's gonna work on humans all the same!''

 

Prompto took a moment to consider the suggestion and, finally, he let out, ''Ok here goes.''

 

'' _That's_ what I'm talking about,'' Noctis grinned as he watched Prompto pull out his pistol and line up his shot. ''When they move away from the door, run to go open it. I'll point-warp to the car, and pick you up on the way out.''

 

''Got it. Three, two, one—''

 

The guards jumped at the sudden appearance of a huge ball of fucking light further in the garage. Sharing confused glances, they trotted off to investigate; meanwhile, Prompto darted to the door, keenly feeling how ridiculous this all was, and frankly not caring. The large door began sliding open, and ¨Prompto whirled around to see the Regalia barreling towards him.

 

Noctis kicked open the door for Prompto, and yelled, ''Get in!''

 

Prompto jumped in, and the Regalia skirted away with a loud screech of the tires. The cool night air rushed in from the opened top, and mingled with their breathless laughter as they drove out of the Crown city.

 

Prompto turned to watch the castle grow smaller and smaller behind them. ''That was insane.''

 

''Yeah,'' Noctis answered, a smile playing on his lips.

 

''You know, now that I think about it,'' Prompto turned back, ''couldn't you just have said you were going out for a drive? It's _your_ car, and, well, you _are_ king.''

 

Noctis grew quiet, looking at the road. Then, ''I...guess you're right.''

 

''Ah—haha,'' Prompto patted Noctis' back before the young king began sulking. ''But where's the fun in that, right?''

 

Noctis' smile wormed its way back. ''Yeah.''

 

''So, where are we going?''

 

Noctis considered the question, staring at the road ahead. They would pass the limits of Insomnia soon, yet he hadn't the slightest idea where they would go beyond that. The road simply opened up before him, and the stretch of possibilities seemed to him so familiar, so right. Finally, he said, ''I don't know, honestly. I just—missed the road, you know? I don't really have a destination in mind.''

 

Prompto smiled widely, getting comfortable in his seat. ''Alright! So, we go where the road takes us.''

 

Noctis received Prompto's words gratefully; it felt great that Prompto understood him. Relaxing his hand on the wheel, Noctis added, ''Sounds perfect.''

 

***

 

An hour into their nightly escape, the Crown city well behind them, their conversation lulled to a stop as the late hour weighed on them. The arid air of the desert area near the city did nothing to help. Resting his head on his arm, Prompto looked sleepily at Noctis, and asked, ''I know I went for it without question but, seriously, what possessed you to ditch the throne all of a sudden?''

 

''I told you, didn't I?'' Noctis kept his tired eyes on the road. ''I couldn't take being cooped up anymore. Just a few weeks ago, we were out saving the world. You go from that to spending day after day signing papers, and tell me how it feels.''

 

''Mh. Yeah, it sounds pretty rough. Being Crownsguard isn't a whole lot of fun, either.'' Prompto yawned. ''I don't know, wish someone would attempt a coup already, so I'd have something to do.''

 

''Hey,'' Noctis looked at him with a biting grin. ''Quick to put my life in danger, are you?''

 

''Aw, come on, I'd protect you! I'm sure Gladio could use the action, too.''

 

Noctis grunted in approval. ''He probably misses camping more than anything.''

 

''Hah, yeah. Man, do _I_ not miss that, though.'' Prompto gave it a second thought, and corrected, ''Actually, it wasn't so bad. Except when it rained.''

 

''Oh, yeah.''

 

''To think it all started with you going off to marry Lady Lunafreya—and all for the wedding to be called off in the end.''

 

''What can I say? The marriage wasn't necessary anymore, and Luna and I are really just friends.'' With the Empire defeated, and the Darkness chased away, there had been no need for a political marriage between Noctis and Lunafreya; she had returned home to help rebuild her nation. Noctis couldn't be happier with the way things had turned out. The both of them had gotten to see each other when all the fighting was done, and they had both felt that there was nothing between them save the fondness of childhood friends. Now, they were both safe and happy.

 

Prompto's voice interrupted Noctis' musings: ''I can't believe you passed up the chance to marry her. I mean, any man would be happy to, right?''

 

Noctis rolled his eyes: how many times had he heard that before? ''Unlike you, _cute_ and _girl_ aren't enough to make me head over heels.''

 

''Hey!'' Prompto paused. ''...Yeah, ok, you got me there.''

 

Noctis shook his head fondly, while Prompto continued: ''Well, 'suppose it's all for the best. We couldn't get up to no good like this if you were married. And hey—speaking of cute girls, what do you say we, uh, stop by Hammerhead, huh?''

 

Noctis turned to look at Prompto's innocent smile. ''To see Cindy, I assume?''

 

''Well—hey—we gotta fill up on gas and such, don't we?''

 

''Whatever. Sure, let's go.''

 

''Yes!'' Prompto pumped his fist triumphantly.

 

They pulled into Hammerhead a quarter of an hour later, welcoming the chance to stretch their legs. Noctis eyed the caravan hungrily, while Prompto already looked around for his dream mechanic lady. Noctis came up behind him, and said, ''It's late. Even she goes to sleep at some point. Come on, let's call it a day.''

 

''Yeah, you're right,'' Prompto conceded with a yawn. ''Couldn't make much conversation in this state, anyway.''

 

''You couldn't make much conversation either way.'' Noctis returned Prompto's pout with a grin.

 

The two of them headed for the caravan, and took in the sight of the two pull-down beds with a grateful sigh. ''Hey, we don't have to share this time!''

 

''Yep,'' Noctis replied as he pulled one of the beds down, and crashed on the mattress.

 

Prompto flicked off the light, and lied down on the other bed. In the dark, he spoke up, ''Hey, Noct?''

 

''Mmm?''

 

''This was a great idea.'' Prompto could hear Noctis' soft breathing in the quiet of the caravan, and it reminded him of the countless hours spent together on their travels. He really _had_ missed it. He never would have expected Noctis to miss it, too, and to drag him along to another adventure. ''Even if we went back home tomorrow, I had a lot of fun today. Feels like it's been forever, too.''

 

After a moment, Noctis rolled over, peering at Prompto in the darkness, making out only the outline of Prompto's body. ''Yeah,'' he whispered.

 

''Well, hopefully the fun _won't_ end tomorrow.'' Prompto closed his eyes. ''Good night, buddy.''

 

''Night.'' Noctis rolled on his back, and, soon, his eyes fluttered closed.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I finished the game yesterday, and I stand by what I said: this is an AU in which everything that went wrong in the game NEVER HAPPENED. I allude to a big fight between the 4 dudes at some point, but it is not over the same reason as in the game. 
> 
> ALSO I made a mistake I think. It seems Crownsguard is not the same thing as Kingsglaive? Since (spoiler alert) by the end of the game, the guys are wearing Kingsglaive outfits, I assume they're a smaller, more prestigious group sworn to the king. (I know very little abt the lore and im too lazy to check it out lmao)
> 
> More notes at the end. Enjoy!

 

The runaway boys were wrenched from their downy sleep by the sound of Noctis's phone. The ringtone took a moment to breach the barriers of Noctis' deep sleep, but, eventually, his heavy eyelids lifted to reveal the ceiling of the caravan, which he came to recognize by the familiar water stain right in his line of sight. Noctis blinked, inching towards consciousness, until he remembered where he was.

 

By then, the phone was still ringing, refusing to be ignored. Noctis fumbled for it, finding it at the beside the bed, buried in the folds of his jacket. He peered at the screen, and grimaced at the caller. He looked at Prompto, who had taken less time to rouse than Noctis, and announced: ''It's Iggy.''

 

Prompto looked back at him, half-nervous, half-anticipating the drama that was sure to go down. Oh, sure, he liked his friends to all get along; serious fights, he couldn't stand. He remembered a particularly awful fight the once-prince and his retainers had had on the road, and how he had desperately wanted things to go back to normal. The thought that the group of friends he finally felt he belonged to could be broken terrified him.

 

A little, harmless drama, however, he could appreciate. ''Guess it had to happen. You gonna pick up?''

 

''I don't know,'' Noctis cautiously eyed the phone. ''Should I?''

 

''Probably not...,'' Prompto thought about it for a second. ''Well, maybe just to let the guy know you're ok. We did bolt in the middle of the night.''

 

Noctis stared at the phone for a moment, and took in a breath. He picked up. ''Hey Iggy, what's up?''

 

_''What the blazes do you think you're doing, Noctis?''_

 

''What do you mean?''Noctis asked gingerly.

 

_''Running away in the middle of the night like a bloody teenager! This is entirely unacceptable. You are to return at once.''_

 

Noctis chewed on his bottom lip while his eyes darted around the caravan for a way to subdue Ignis. His retainer's berating grated on Noctis slightly, yet he kept held back the urge to argue. Noctis wanted to end the conversation on a positive note – and, to be fair, Ignis _did_ have every reason to be pissed right the fuck off. Noctis threw a complicit glance towards Prompto, and spoke tentatively into the phone: ''Hey, uh, Iggy? I can barely hear you over here—Line's breaking up.''

 

Prompto's eyes lit up in understanding, and he covered his mouth, making static noises behind his palm.

 

_''Do not try to pull that on me, Noctis, or so help me—''_

 

''What? I really can't hear you. I'll call back later, Iggy!'' Noctis hung up with a sigh of relief.

 

Prompto snickered from where he sat on the bed. ''You're bad.''

 

A half-grin tugged at Noctis' lips; Prompto had to be partly sarcastic, but the thrill Noctis felt was all real. Ignis was right: Noctis _did_ feel like a teenager. He hadn't actually done anything stupid like this in his teenage years, though, and would never have thought he had a rebellious streak. He'd been _reluctant_ towards his duty at times, yes, but rebelling for its own sake had never appealed to him. It had taken a few weeks of being king to discover how exhilarating acting out could be.

 

Noctis jumped at the sound of his phone ringing again. ''...Specs is persis—Oh, it's Gladio.''

 

''Yeah, but he could be with Ignis right now,'' Prompto pointed out.

 

''Right,'' Noctis nodded, waiting out the call. He received a text message a minute later:

 

_You two should see Iggys face right now_

 

Prompto came to read over Noctis' shoulder, and he urged: ''Tell him to take a pic! I'll settle for a phone camera.''

 

Noctis complied and, after a minute's wait, received a poorly taken picture of a very angry-looking Ignis. Accompanying it were the words: _Here. He didnt even notice. Probably too busy thinking of how hes going kill you noct_

 

''Pff—'' Prompto cackled, returning to sit cross-legged on his bed. ''That's the face of a man plotting murder, alright. So, Gladio's not gonna rat us out?''

 

''Don't think so,'' Noctis answered, looking down at his phone again. A new message awaited:

 

_Dont be gone too long. I got an idea why you beat it, but like or not this place needs you, king_

 

''Yeah, yeah...'' Frowning slightly, Noctis stuffed the phone in the pocket of his jacket.

 

Well, if anything, Noctis was fully awake now. The sun hung mere inches above the line of horizon: it must have been the quarter of an hour since dawn. When leaving the note under Ignis' door, Noctis had forgotten what an early bird Ignis was. The young king sat staring at the countless colours of the brightening sky for a long, quiet moment, and his features softened with a smile. There was something to be said for waking up early.

 

Finally, Noctis stretched his arms above his head, and, as he did, his stomach whined loudly. ''Ugh, I'm starving.''

 

''Tell me about it,'' Prompto chimed in. ''Bite at Takka's restaurant?''

 

''Hell yeah.''

 

***

 

Once their bellies were full with a warm, freshly-prepared breakfast, Noctis and Prompto headed for the garage, catching the shrill sound of a tire being removed as they approached the hangar door. Noctis rolled his eyes at the sight of Prompto's nervous fidgeting beside him and, somehow, Noctis already felt exhausted. He vowed that they wouldn't stay in Hammerhead long; nothing was more annoying to watch than Prompto's pining.

 

Noctis stepped in the garage, and called out, ''Cindy?''

 

A head of blond curls popped up behind a car, and Cindy greeted her guests with a radiant smile. ''Well, if this ain't a surprise!''

 

Cindy moved away from the car, wiping her forehead as she ambled over to the boys. ''To what do I owe the honour of a visit from the King and one of his most trusted knights?''

 

Noctis attributed the use of _knight_ simply as Cindy's old-fashioned choice of words but, deciding to lend his friend a helping hand, specified: ''Newly-appointed Kinsglaive. Our boy here got promoted after saving the world with me.''

 

''Oh, my!'' Cindy smiled in Prompto's direction. ''Well, saving the world ougth'a get you at least that.''

 

Prompto turned crimson, and gave Noctis a look that was both grateful for the comment, and mortified at the sudden attention. He wrung his hands together nervously, turning back to look at Cindy. ''Y-yeah, I, uh, I guess. It's not that big a deal, really.''

 

''Now, that, I won't have. You got to wear that title with pride, you do. Now, boys, truth is I got a job to finish—Mind waiting up 'till I'm done?''

 

''No problem,'' Noctis replied. ''We'll hang around for a bit.''

 

Leaving Cindy to her work, the two of them walked out of the hangar. As soon as they stood at a safe distance, Prompto began gushing: ''Oh my god, Noct, did you see that?! God, she's so supportive, and nice—and cute!'' Prompto closed his eyes dreamily as he spoke that last word, swaying a bit to the side and lifting a hand to his heart. It was very theatrical and, in other words, very Prompto.

 

Suddenly, Prompto snapped back to reality, and slapped Noctis on the booty. ''By the way, thanks. You really did me a solid back there, man. Making me look good in front of Cindy and all.''

 

''Don't mention it,'' Noctis brushed off the thank you with a shrug. ''Are you finally going to go for it with her?''

 

''Wh—How do you mean?''

 

''Ask her out, I don't know.''

 

''You mean a date?!'' Prompto turned livid, and looked at Noctis like the king had suggested walking into the open mouth of a catoblepa.

 

''No need to be formal about it, just ask her to go grab lunch with you at Takka's place.'' Noctis drew into his limited knowledge of modern courtship, determined to get Prompto to put himself out there – to finally have a definite answer, and a chance for the kid to move on, depending on how things turned out. ''Doesn't have to be date, just a chance for you two to talk one-on-one. You can tell her I went fishing.''

 

''But we're in the desert!''

 

''Hiking, then. Say you weren't up for it.''

 

Prompto grew quiet, considering Noctis' words. His advice seemed decent enough – there would be no reason for Cindy to refuse grabbing an innocent bite with a friend. But, what then? Prompto would have to make conversation somehow, would have to make himself seem interesting, charming, funny, so on and so forth. Now that Prompto gave it a serious thought, it seemed like too tall an order - this is why he contented himself with inconsequential pining. He could already feel his stomach twisting and knotting at the thought of what an awkward, embarrassing fiasco the so-called _innocent bite between friends_ would no doubt turn into.

 

''I-I don't know,'' Prompto stammered at last. ''I'll probably mess it up—act all weird in front of her, y'know? Plus, I'm—''

 

Noctis waited for the rest of Prompto's sentence, and, when it didn't come, asked: ''Yeah?''

 

''Y'know... _Me_.''

 

Noctis gave his friend a long stare, feeling a pang in his heart at the sight of the confidence issues that Prompto had opened up about not too long ago. Their conversation atop the motel roof was a moment that Noctis cherished; it meant a whole lot to him that Prompto had trusted him with his innermost feelings. Now, although it should have been obvious, it dawned on Noctis that insecurities such as Prompto's wouldn't fade after a single conversation.

 

No sweat, Noctis had another pep talk in him. ''You, a loyal, brave guy who happens to have a lot in common with her?''

 

Prompto's eyes widened, and he let out a short, breathless laugh. Even as he spoke, he wondered why Noctis had chosen those words to describe him, as opposed to funny, or enthusiastic. Was Noctis thinking of the conversation they had at the motel some odd months ago? At the time, Prompto had told Noctis about the part of himself that hid behind the happy-go-lucky persona – all Prompto could think of now was that Noctis was being mindful not to use those easy answers to describe him. The thought – so considerate – of it touched Prompto more than the compliments themselves. Still, he kept his answer at, ''Aw, come on. Brave?''

 

''Yeah,'' Noctis answered evenly. ''You get scared when we go into dungeons sometimes, but, you've shown a lot of guts while we were travelling. Back when the war broke, you were the first one to suggest going back to Insomnia, remember? Even though it wasn't safe.''

 

''Y-yeah, I remember that. It didn't do us any good, though.''

 

''Well, it forced me to face the truth. I needed that at the time.'' Noctis looked into Prompto's eyes. ''Point is, you've been with me every step of the way, no matter how dicey things got. So, loyal and brave.''

 

After a pause, Noctis added: ''And hey, not too bad on the eyes, either.''

 

''Ah—hah,'' Prompto brought a hand to cover the silly, embarrassed smile stretching his lips. ''You really mean that, Noct?''

 

''That you don't look bad?''

 

''More like, everything you said before that...'' A streak of red graced Prompto's cheekbones, and he thanked whatever gods were around that they were standing in the shade. Where was all this bashfulness coming from?

 

Noctis gazed at Prompto, satisfied at the happy look that seemed to quickly be spreading across Prompto's face. All that was left for Noctis was to drive his point home. ''Of course I mean it.''

 

''Right, yeah,'' Prompto bounced his hands together in that nervous way of his. He offered Noctis a tentative smile. ''Heh. Thanks, Noct. You've really got a hand at cheering me up.''

 

''What can I say?'' Noctis said with a light shrug. ''So, ready to ask Cindy out or not?''

 

''Wh—Cindy?'' Prompto blinked, until he recalled how their conversation had started. _Right._ They'd been talking about Cindy this whole time. Somehow, it had completely slipped Prompto's mind somewhere along the way, until he was aware of Noctis alone, and how good, how _right_ , Noctis' words made him feel. Noticing Noctis' questioning stare, Prompto quickly recovered: ''I-I guess after this kinda pep talk, I can't chicken out, huh?''

 

''It would seem anti-climatic,'' Noctis grinned slightly.

 

''Right,'' Prompto took in a breath. ''Ok. I'll go for it. A lunch non-date date.''

 

Noctis nodded approvingly. They'd walked a ways from the garage at that point; Noctis pointed his chin towards it, and said: ''You should go check if she's done now. I'll, uh, go on that hike—I guess?''

 

Prompto grinned, relaxing at last. ''You could just take a nap in the caravan.''

 

''Eh, whatever. I could use the exercise.'' Noctis turned around, strolling leisurely towards the road. ''Good luck with Cindy!''

 

Prompto watched Noctis walk away, waiting quite a bit until he turned to face the garage. Then, full of the confidence Noctis had inspired in him, he whispered, ''Here goes.''

 

***

 

Noctis trekked back to Hammerhead after forty-five minutes of aimless wandering across dusty rock formations. The king figured that Cindy had to have gone back to work by then, and Prompto would be just about ready to burst with the need to rant about his date. Noctis spotted the blondie of the hour sitting on the steps to Takka's restaurant. As Noctis drew closer, he noticed the contemplative look on Prompto's face, moments before he called out: ''Hey.''

 

Prompto looked up, already smiling at the sound of Noctis' voice. ''Hey, you're back. How was the hike?''

 

''Never mind that, how was lunch? Did Cindy say yes?''

 

''Yeah, she went for it.'' Prompto paused, and he seemed to look past Noctis in search for the rest of his sentence. Finally, he gave a shrug. ''It was fine. Pretty fun. Cindy's great company. I didn't have to struggle to make conversation.''

 

''That's great,'' Noctis welcomed the news with a smile.

 

Before Noctis could ask another question, Prompto stood up, patting himself off. ''So, do we hit the road?''

 

Noctis blinked. ''You wanna go now?''

 

''Yeah! This is a road trip, isn't it? We've got no business staying in the same place longer than a day.''

 

''Uh, I—Guess you're right? It hasn't been a whole day, though.''

 

''Details, details.'' Prompto clapped his hands decisively, taking a few steps towards the Regalia. ''Come on, let's go!''

 

''Wait—'' Noctis caught up, falling in to step beside him. ''Did something happen with Cindy?''

 

''Nope,'' Prompto answered without hesitation. Walking past the Regalia, he popped his head in the hangar, and called out: ''Hey, Cindy! Noct and I are taking off!''

 

And so, after quick goodbyes, the Regalia rolled back onto the open road. Noctis had given up on questioning Prompto's sudden hurry to leave Hammerhead; personally, he'd been anxious to get back to their road trip as well, so he didn't mind. The smouldering, afternoon sun blazed down on them as they drove in silence to an unknown destination.

 

Eventually, Prompto leaned forward to fiddle with the radio, before leaning back in his seat with a sigh. Head turned to look out at the scenery whisking by, hands fidgeting on his lap. He stayed quiet for a while – testing Noctis' patience to its limits – until he said: ''It really was fine, y'know.''

 

Noctis kept his eyes steadily on the road. ''Yeah.''

 

''I just—Having a crush is easy. And I never—really gave any thought as to what comes after? Getting together, and whatever.'' Prompto glanced at Noctis, and back at the road. ''And, I don't know why, but, while I was with Cindy, I got kinda scared.''

 

''Scared?'' Noctis' eyes flickered towards Prompto. Searching. What could be troubling him now?

 

''Yeah, I really don't know how to explain it. All of a sudden, all I could think of was that I wanted out. I wanted to be back on the road with you, without a care in the world.''

 

''Huh...'' Noctis trailed off. He didn't completely get what Prompto was going on about, but, he did understand the appeal of the road. And, hey, whether Prompto hooked up with Cindy or not didn't matter to him. He did hope that this new development meant Prompto would stop going on and on about his _greasy monkey goddess_ for good. ''That's that, I guess.''

 

''Off to our next stop,'' Prompto added in a way that closed the discussion.

 

Noctis nodded, one hand on the wheel. A few minutes passed before he heard Prompto sigh contently beside him, and Noctis relaxed in his seat. _Off to our next stop._

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone has any beef with the way things went down between Prompto and Cindy, bear in my mind that this is my interpretation of Prompto's character. Truth is, I see myself in him a whole lot? The pointless crushing that fades all too quickly whenever there's a hint of an actual possibility for smth more - that's me all over. Now, ofc, we don't know that Prompto would actually be that way (however, judging by how quickly he became interested in aranea, we know that his infatuations are very frivolous) but i like to think of it that way.  
> Until next time!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was asked how many chapters this thingie's gonna have and tbh I'm not sure. No more than ten, that's for sure. 
> 
> Enjoy!

After spending the night at Longwythe, the next morning saw Noctis and Prompto pulling into Galdin Quay. While Noctis refuelled, Prompto got out of the car, and marvelled at the glittering expanse of the ocean that never ceased to be breathtaking. Prompto stretched his arms over his head as he took in the salty air, then, he turned to Noctis with a wide smile. ''Up for a swim?''

 

Putting away the pump, Noctis glanced outwards to the ocean. He'd been dodging calls from Ignis the whole drive over, and, frankly, felt he could use the thrill of dunking his head under water that couldn't be too warm at this hour. ''We didn't bring swimsuits, though.''

 

''So, we'll just go in commando,'' Prompto replied, drawling over the word _commando_ , and moving his hand forward.

 

''Are you serious?''

 

''What, is his Majesty scared of a little skinny-dipping?''

 

''No, I—ah—'' Noctis trailed off, feelings his cheeks grow warm. He was getting flashbacks of Gladio poking fun at him for not wanting to take off his shirt. Noctis was already uncomfortable with that, but full-on nudity? Yeah, not happening. If they went in with their underwear, they'd have to leave them out to dry, too – or wear them under their dry clothes, which would feel terrible. Nope. Also not happening.

 

Catching on to Noctis' discomfort, Prompto broke the silence, and suggested: ''Let's check out the resort, maybe they sell swimsuits there.''

 

Breathing in a quiet sigh of relief, Noctis said, ''Yeah, good idea.''

 

There happened to be, although they'd never noticed it on their earlier travels, a gift shop at the resort that sold swimsuits. They changed in the washroom and, two minutes later, Prompto dashed happily down the wooden deck leading to the resort, down the stairs, across the shore and into the crystal-clear water. He yelped at the first contact of cool water to his sensitive skin, faltering and hanging around near the edge of the water.

 

Coming up behind him, Noctis raised an eyebrow. ''What, you're gonna chicken out now? This was your idea, you know.''

 

''Y-yeah, I know...You just wait.'' Prompto bent down to cup water into his hands, and rubbed it against his arms and legs. ''Be ready in a jiffy.''

 

Noctis scoffed at him and walked daringly into the water until he stood submerged up to his chest. _Time to reboot_ , he thought before he dived his head in, eyes closed. Thoughts of Ignis and Noctis' responsibilities rushed up to the surface along with the bubbles swirling around Noctis' head, and the king drew up for a breath of fresh air that felt deliriously liberating. He turned his head skywards, letting out a laugh as drops of water dribbled down his hair.

 

Watching Noctis from the shore, Prompto stopped in the middle of bending down for more water. He stood, like that, staring at the king while something stirred in his stomach. _Mesmerizing._ Prompto felt his camera, and, with a pang of disappointment, realized he didn't have it. It was up to him to capture this moment forever. Prompto shook his head, and made his way to Noctis, braving the water at last.

 

''So, you made it,'' Noctis greeted him with a smug grin. ''Took you forever, but, hey...''

 

''Better late than never,'' Prompto argued with a smile.

 

''So, aren't you going to dive in?''

 

Prompto's smile fell. ''Like, put my head underwater? No way, I don't wanna mess up my hair!''

 

Noctis raised an eyebrow, staring back at Prompto until the blondie backed away with a start. ''Don't even think about it, Noct!!''

 

 

An hour later, the two of them dragged their soaked, tired bodies back to the beach, and flopped onto the sand – with just enough presence of mind to lie on their backs. Nonetheless, Noctis groaned as soon as his back touched the ground. ''Ugh, bad idea. I can already feel the sand sticking all over me.''

 

''Don't even talk to me right now,'' Prompto spoke without any real anger in his voice. ''It's getting all over my hair, and _that_ , my friend, is thanks to you.''

 

''Yeah,'' Noctis answered in an undisturbed, matter-of-fact way. ''You're welcome.''

 

They lied like that for a while, nearly dozing off, soaking up the sun. Prompto's voice broke the silence: ''We didn't put sunscreen.''

 

A moment of silence passed. Then:

 

''Fuck,'' Noctis said simply.

 

''Yeah.'' After another silence, Prompto added, ''Can your patron gods make sure we don't burn?''

 

''I don't think they do that, no.''

 

''Damn...''

 

''Yeah.''

 

Staring up at the sky, the two of them gradually accepted the idea that they would be nursing sunburns later that day. Deciding to reduce the damage as much as possible, they got up, washed off the sand, and dressed up after drying off. They ate lunch at the resort, and spent their afternoon enjoying everything the place had to offer. While Prompto indulged in a massage, Noctis returned to the shore to fish, and returned to hand his prize over to Cactura.

 

The time rolled around for supper, and they sat at a table amongst the families and the couples and the lulling sound of the waves. The good food was icing on the cake to a day that had been full with fun and freedom. Even the pain from their seared shoulders wasn't enough to spoil their mood, and they talked happily over their meal.

 

Then, suddenly, Noctis became aware of something that had nagged him in the back of his mind all day. The people around their table were glancing his way, whispering and exchanging glances. _Is that King Noctis? It couldn't be, right? What could he be doing out here?_ Noctis lowered his eyes, staring at the contents of his plate, squeezing his fingers around his glass. Ignore them. Block them out. But he couldn't.

 

''Noct, are you ok?'' Prompto's worried voice stood out from the others.

 

''Yeah, uh,'' Noctis started. ''Let's finish eating quick.''

 

Noctis left most of his plate alone, and, within ten minutes, they had left their table. Noctis sought refuge by the secluded part of the pier, where they'd once met the daytime reporter Dino. Taking off his boots, he sat by the edge, and dipped his feet in the water. The light coming from the resort was hardly enough to see in front of him, and Noctis' other senses came alive.

 

Prompto joined Noctis without question, wriggling his toes in the water, and taking in the cool breeze. He sneaked a glance at Noctis. ''Didn't like the food?''

 

''It's not that,'' Noctis shook his head after a moment. ''Didn't you notice the people talking around us? They recognized me. Wondering what the hell their king is doing taking it easy at a beach-side resort.''

 

Prompto blinked. ''I didn't notice, but, they were probably just star-struck, man! Seeing the king hanging out in the same place as them, it must've felt great.''

 

''Somehow I doubt that...'' Noctis went quiet, looking out at the darkness before him. He opened his mouth, closed it; struggling with his aversion to opening up. He told himself that this was Prompto, his best friend, who had been honest with Noctis about his own insecurities. Noctis could trust him to listen. He started hesitantly: ''This entire trip, I've been trying to ignore the guilt I feel at leaving my post. It's not just that it's boring, y'know. There's a lot of important stuff I have to deal with, too. There are people in need all over Lucis and, now, somehow, I'm the one in charge of making their lives better. Families who need food on the table, children who need education...That's all on me. But here I am, shirking my duty. Failing all those people.''

 

Prompto looked at him, lips parted, unsure of what to say. What wouldn't sound like a platitude? What would honestly make Noctis feel better, make him feel like Prompto understood? ''I never realized you had all that to deal with...''

 

''I mean, I have advisors to help me through it. But they're...I don't know, most of them feel like snakes, and I spend most of my energy warding them off. Ignis is the only good one of the bunch, but I feel bad relying on him all the time.'' Noctis lowered his eyes. Now, he was getting to the root of the problem. The wound that had never completely healed. ''I wish Dad were around.''

 

Noctis lifted his head, letting out a mirthless laugh. ''Then again, if he was, I'd still be a prince, without a care in the world. He always kept me out of his business; never prepared me for any of this. And I never bothered to ask.''

 

''But if he was...,'' Noctis started, and his voice began to quiver, ''I'd ask him now. And I'd...apologize for being such a brat...''

 

Prompto watched Noctis hang his head, wide-eyed and panicking. _What do I do what do I do whatdoIdo is Noct crying oh please don't let him be crying what do I do?_ He reached for Noctis' hand, finding his fingers in the dark and holding on tightly. Prompto spoke up, realizing that his own voice was shaking as well, ''I'm sure he'd be proud of you. To see how much you care. I mean, so what if you took a break? You can't help what you need, and the people of Lucis sure don't need their king having a breakdown.''

 

''Guess not...,'' Noctis whispered, breath shuddering. The touch from Prompto's hand felt warm. Comforting. He tried to focus on that.

 

''I really had no idea you had so much on your mind,'' Prompto continued. ''It can't have been easy dealing with it by yourself.''

 

Noctis shook his head, staring at what he could make out of the water. ''I feel like I can't tell anyone. I can hear Gladio telling me to be a man, or something.'' He chuckled dryly at that.

 

''Yeah,'' Prompto grimaced. ''He can be a dick. But I'm sure Ignis would understand. And, you've got me. Always.''

 

''Yeah...,'' a shaky smile tugged on Noctis' lips. ''Thanks, Prompto.''

 

They spent a long moment in silence, Prompto's hand still locked around Noctis' fingers. When they decided to get up, it was mutual, without an exchange of words. They steeled themselves to the caravan on the shore – both understand that to rent the fancy room at the resort would be bad taste in this situation. They pulled down the beds, and lied down fully clothed.

 

Two, three minutes passed until Noctis spoke up. ''You wanna know something weird?''

 

''Always,'' Prompto answered.

 

''When we first set out on our trip, like, the four of us, it took me a lot of time to get used to sharing a bed. Hell, when we slept in the tent, it was all four of us in a cramped space.'' Noctis paused, staring up at the ceiling. ''Now, though, it's the opposite. I have a huge bed in the castle, and, it feels so wrong to be sleeping in it alone. Like something's missing.''

 

''I feel you a hundred percent,'' Prompto said. ''Except for the huge bed part, mine is a single. Haven't cashed enough Kingsglaive checks yet.''

 

A chuckle passed between the two of them. When it settled down, they were left to stare at the space beside them on their mattress, their heart beating fast, wondering if it was ok to ask the question hanging on their lips. For a while, it seemed like neither of them would dare, until they both uttered: ''So—''

 

''Yeah—?''

 

''What—?''

 

Another silence. More staring at the sheets. Their cheeks were burning. Finally, Noctis sighed, and said: ''Just get over here.''

 

''Ok,'' Prompto whispered shakily. He left his bed, and slipped underneath the covers beside Noctis. He didn't dare breathe for a second, then, inevitably, he began to relax. The sense of familiarity draped over him all at once, and Prompto felt like he could fall asleep right there and then. ''Yup, that's definitely better. Can I share your bed at the castle, too?''

 

''Pff—'' Noctis grinned. ''Don't push your luck.''

 

Prompto sighed dramatically. ''A man can dream.''

 

''Good night, Prompto.'' Noctis closed his eyes, feeling Prompto's comforting weight beside him – warding off his demons. He could finally hope for a good night's sleep.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tune in next time to see Noctis marvelling at Prompto's sleeping face~


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all those who leave feedback <3
> 
> Enjoy!

In one of those rare miracles of life, Noctis woke early the next morning – without any outside influence. Ignis had apparently given up on blowing up the king's phone, and, the only sound that greeted Noctis was that of the waves dragging back and forth on the shore outside the caravan. Noctis opened his eyes with a sense of serenity spreading over him; somewhere in the back of his mind, he wished he could wake up like this every morning.

 

He became increasingly aware of a presence beside him, and rolled onto his side, coming nose-to-nose with Prompto. Momentarily startled, Noctis relaxed when he remembered the previous night. Right, he'd _asked_ for this. He remembered the slight jump in his heart when Prompto slipped under the covers at his bidding. Now, in the light of the morning that could hold no secrets, Noctis wondered where the reaction had come from. He had never felt that way when sharing a bed with Prompto during their journey throughout Lucis; but then, Ignis and Gladiolus had been there, too. It was just the two of them now. Was that the difference? Noctis didn't see why it should make any.

 

As he pondered over this, his eyes studied Prompto's features; the soft hair that carried the saltiness of the ocean still, the freckles covering Prompto's cheeks and nose, the half-opened lips. Peaceful with sleep in the warmth of morning. Noctis reached over to brush his fingers across Prompto's cheek, feeling his heart jump again at the touch. He drew back almost instantly, wondering what had come over him. His heart wouldn't quit hammering and, sitting up, Noctis started reeling with questions.

 

 _What the Hell is wrong with me? It's_ Prompto. _Why am I acting so weird? Touching a person's face while they sleep isn't normal. Pull it together, Noct._

 

''...Noct?'' Prompto's voice drifted up.

 

Noctis blinked down at Prompto, voice rising to a slightly higher pitch as he said, ''H-hey...Good morning.''

 

''Back at ya...,'' Prompto replied sleepily.

 

''I'm gonna—uh—'' Noctis fumbled for his words, averting his eyes from Prompto. He stood up, and moved to the door. ''I'm gonna get us some breakfast.''

 

The fresh air and the distance did Noctis good, and he returned to the caravan with breakfast – courtesy of Cactura – as well as a normal heart rate. He decided to ignore what had happened earlier – chalked it up to being half-asleep. He ate in silence, leaving it up to Prompto to make conversation: a responsibility Prompto filled with his usual gusto.

 

As they finished the last few bites on their plate, Prompto asked: ''Iggy hasn't called today?''

 

Noctis shook his head, mouth full. After swallowing, he added: ''Still, we'll head back in two days top.''

 

''Oh. So soon?''

 

''Yeah. A king's vacation can only last so long.'' Noctis said it without as much of a weight on his shoulders as he might've sensed the day before. Sharing his burden with Prompto had relieved him, along with the prospect of telling Ignis as well. His duty as king wouldn't go anywhere, but, as least, Noctis didn't feel like he was tackling it alone.

 

''Alright, if that's what you want,'' Prompto nodded. ''Anything special you want to do on the last two days of our little road trip?''

 

Noctis gave the question a good minute, until the answer appeared to him as clearly as day. If there was one thing he absolutely wanted to get out of this trip, it was a chance to—''Kill monsters.''

 

Prompto's smile fell. ''How did I not see that coming?''

 

***

The king and his guard set out to search for a bounty hunt posting worthy of their services – the most dangerous they could find. They stumbled upon a posting for a behemoth in Cleigne, and drove up to the edge of the forest. In the ride over, Prompto wrung his hands, and asked: ''Why is risking your life the one thing you want to do on this trip?''

 

''I miss a good fight,'' Noctis answered simply, grinning with anticipation at the road. ''Sparring with Gladio at home isn't the same.''

 

Noctis wanted to feel the adrenaline rush through his veins, up to his brain where it would make him dizzy. He wanted to feel in touch with his own body again, strain his muscles, use every tool at his disposal to accomplish something straight-forward and concrete – completely unlike ruling a nation – that he could be proud of. He figured he'd be helping out his people in the process, too. There would be one less beast out there jumping out at unassuming travellers. His fingers twitched on the wheel; he could hardly wait.

 

''And, if we die,'' Prompto added with a grim edge to his voice, ''I guess you won't have to worry about being king anymore.''

 

Noctis laughed at the morbid joke. ''Yeah!''

 

''Don't say that like you're honestly considering the possibility!!''

 

Noctis pulled over by the side of the road, looking at the bounty hunt ad. ''Should be around here. Ready?''

 

''Will it make a difference if I say no?''

 

''Not really.'' Noctis eagerly stepped out of the car, looking out at the stretch of mint-green trees hiding the behemoth they sought. The rustling leaves seemed to beckon the two adventurers in; whispering promises of a safe return. Perhaps it was merely Noctis letting his imagination run wild. He glanced back at his friend, and tried for a reassuring smile as he said: ''Aw, come on, we've fought worst things before.''

 

''Yeah, but there were four of us!'' Prompto held up his fingers vehemently. ''And like, Gladio counts as two people. So, really, we were five.''

 

''We'll be _fine_. You handle yourself pretty good in a fight.'' Noctis started towards the woods, leaving a baffled Prompto in his tracks.

 

They fell quiet as they entered the forest and tracked the behemoth's lair. There was no mistaking the huge prints left in the damp earth of the wetlands; as they neared their target, the hunter's instinct settled over them, calming even Prompto's nerves. The air was cooler in the shelter of the trees, and the light grew dimmer with every step they took further in.

 

Just when their legs showed hints of tiring, they came upon a clearing in the woods. The beast lay slumbering in the pool of sunlight at the centre, unaware of their presence. Sinuous muscles moved under the coarse skin of its hind leg, big as the Regalia, as the behemoth brought it to scratch at its ear.

 

Its content grumble reached the bushes in which Noctis and Prompto crouched. Prompto scrunched up his eyebrows in an expression of confused endearment. ''That was kinda...cute? It's like a big dog.''

 

''Too bad, we're killing it,'' Noctis answered firmly.

 

''Sheesh. No mercy, huh?'' Prompto lifted his hands up. ''Remind me never to get on your bad side.''

 

''Well, we won't do it while it's sleeping, at least. Let's give it a chance to fight back.''

 

''Right,'' Prompto nodded gravely. Then, ''Wait, what?''

 

''Try and snap some good shots of the fight.''

 

That was all Noctis said before he jogged up to the behemoth, and threw a pebble between its eyes. It woke with a snarl, to the sight of a small biped staring right into its eyes. One predator to another. The behemoth bounded up in a second, lunging at Noctis with its jaw opened to swallow the young king whole.

 

Noctis phased away, re-appearing on the behemoth's snout and flashing a confident grin for Prompto's camera – the photographer had frantically circled around, camera out at Noctis' instructions, and managed to get the shot. The behemoth began thrashing, sending Noctis off its nose and hurtling through the air, while Prompto screeched: ''ARE YOU EVEN TAKING THIS SERIOUSLY?!''

 

The king warped out of the fall, landing safely beside Prompto. ''I'm getting it riled up. Look, it's practically foaming at the mouth.''

 

''This is a level of crazy I gotta admit I have never expected from you, Noct,'' Prompto breathed out, hands clutched to his camera for dear life.

 

Noctis clapped him on the back. ''You can always stay here and watch. But I'll take all the bounty money.''

 

As Noctis charged in for round two, Prompto ran after him, yelling: ''Oh, in your _dreams!_ You're already rich, and I need me a bigger bed!''

 

For the next thirty minutes they fought the beast, dodging claws and fangs twice their size, close-call after close call. They saved each other from sure death more than once, and felt nearly delirious with adrenaline by the time the behemoth tumbled to the ground, Noctis' sword lodged in its chest. Noctis and Prompto were quick to follow; their knees gave, and they toppled against the monster's charred hide.

 

There had been fire involved.

 

Prompto had a half-burnt sleeve as proof.

 

''You could've warned me,'' Prompto whined between gasps for air.

 

''I literally—screamed—'' Noctis panted. ''Fire in the hole—''

 

''But you didn't give me time to move!!''

 

Noctis tried stifling his laugh, but, it bubbled out of his throat until he was throwing his head back and shaking with bouts of laughter and gasps for breath. The adrenaline simmered down, and the two of them sat leaning on the behemoth's belly, looking at the clouds drift by and waiting for their legs to respond. After a moment of silence, Noctis said, ''Let's never do this without the other guys again...''

 

''I can't count how many times I narrowly escaped death in the past thirty minutes...,'' Prompto chimed in.

 

''It was fun, though.''

 

''I must have caught your crazy to agree with you right now...Oh hey.'' Prompto fished his camera out of his bag. ''Victory selfie!''

 

They huddled together for the picture: sweaty, grimy, and smiling toothy grins. Prompto cycled through the ones he had taken mid-fight. ''Yikes, what the hell is going on in this one?''

 

Noctis leaned in to look. ''That...could be its tail?''

 

''Oh well, I _was_ concerned with trying to survive.''

 

Pulling away, Noctis gazed at his friend's profile as Prompto checked all the pictures. The blond hair was a mess, sticking to Prompto's damp neck, and there was blood splattered on his upper left cheek. It was far from a pretty picture, yet Noctis found himself unable to look away. As he did in the morning, Noctis felt the urge to reach out and—and what? Not a simple touch like earlier. Maybe it was the leftover adrenaline from the fight, but, Noctis wanted more this time.

 

So. What, exactly?

 

_Pull him close and kiss him._

 

 _What?_ Noctis' mouth hung open; he swallowed. What was that? He tore his head away, and recollected himself before Prompto announced: ''Alright, that's all of them! So, do we go get our prize?''

 

***

 

''I should make this my career...Pay's better, and I get more stuff done.''

 

Noctis and Prompto sat at the counter of a diner an hour later; Prompto counting their gil as he swivelled back and forth on his stool. The few patrons around hazarded glances towards the two battered strangers – one of whom bore an uncanny resemblance to their king - who gave off the stench of blood, but none attempted to do more. Fortunately, Noctis didn't mind the attention this time around.

 

Noctis looked at Prompto sternly. ''If I'm stuck being king, you're not allowed to quit, either.''

 

''I won't, I won't.'' Prompto grinned. He took pride in being Kingsglaive, for one, and he wouldn't think of leaving Noctis. ''We sleep in the motel tonight?''

 

''Yup. It'll be dark any minute now.''

 

''Fine by me. Soft beds, baby,'' Prompto smiled dreamily. ''Who gets to shower first?''

 

''You go.''

 

''My hero, Noct.'' Prompto clutched his hands over his heart, and skipped away at Noctis' shooing.

 

***

 

Once the two of them were squeaky clean, they had supper at the diner. Emptied plates littered the table, and Prompto cleared a space to rest his head – cheek flat against the surface. They were the only customers left; the man behind the counter seemed to be dozing off as well. The sound of some folk ballad drifted from the radio: the only sound in the joint, until Prompto broke the silence: ''Hey, Noct?''

 

Prompto didn't lift his head from the table, and Noctis, staring dazedly out the window, acknowledged the question only with a hum.

 

''Remember the day—well, I should say night, really—we drove out of Insomnia? We were talking about Lady Lunafreya, and you mentioned needing more than _girl_ and _cute_ to fall in love.''

 

Noctis turned at that, blinking down at Prompto. He answered apprehensively: ''Yeah...?''

 

''Well, what _do_ you—I mean, what do you think you need to fall in love, then?'' Prompto's fingers fidgeted under the table; beyond that, he didn't move, giving no sign of how nervous he felt. He spoke the question casually, as if he hadn't been playing with it for the past fifteen minutes.

 

''Hah—Where'd that come from?''

 

''I don't know!'' Prompto sat upright at that, flashing Noctis an innocent smile. ''It just occurred to me. I know we don't talk about love and relationships a lot but, it's fine, right?''

 

''Yeah, s-sure.'' Noctis made his best attempt at sounding casual, too. ''I don't really have an answer, though. Falling in love isn't something you—control, or plan for, y'know.''

 

For a moment, Prompto simply stared at Noctis in disbelief. A blush came to spread over his face, and he let out, ''Wow—hah! You've got quite the romantic streak, Noct.''

 

''What?'' Noctis turned redder than Prompto. ''No way.''

 

''Poor Lunafreya, to think she could've had such a catch.'' Prompto shook his head as if lamenting a great tragedy, while Noctis rolled his eyes and claimed that _for the millionth time, it was mutual!_ Prompto fell silent then, drawing back into his own thoughts. Eventually, he asked softly: ''Still, if not her, you're going to have to—uh—be with someone of high birth, right? Like, you probably couldn't marry someone like Cindy.''

 

''Why would I want to marry Cindy?''

 

''I'm just giving an example. Someone of low birth, you know what I mean. Like—like me, basically.''

 

A silence passed between them as they processed what Prompto had just said. The ballad on the radio had switched to an upbeat song with banjos. Noctis blinked, and said, ''Uh...''

 

''I mean, not that you'd want to marry me either way!!'' Prompto waved one hand dismissively, covering his face with the other. ''Oh god, sorry, I don't know why I said that.''

 

''It's fine...'' Hardly aware of Prompto's turmoil, Noctis focused on calming the beating of his own heart, and on blocking the intrusive thoughts of Prompto in a wedding gown. Silly, silly. Stupid. Why would Prompto have to wear a wedding gown, anyway? Wouldn't they both wear suits? Wait, no. That wasn't the problem. Noctis quickly blurted out the first thing that came to mind: ''Marriage isn't something I'm considering any time soon.''

 

Prompto uncovered his face, latching onto the change of subject. ''Want to sew your wild oats, first? I didn't know you were such a player, Majesty.''

 

''I—nothing like that. Just not marriage right away. I want to...get to know the person, and make sure the wedding is about more than politics or money.''

 

Prompto blinked, and looked away - the blush clinging to his cheeks. Finally, he said: ''That sounds fair...''

 

The tension between them persisted; facing each other in the tight booth, they would probably see if if they dared look at each other in the eyes. Instead, Noctis pretended there was something immensely interested to look at on the table, while Prompto stared at his lap, circling around another question he'd been toying with all evening – no, all day. Since that morning, when he'd woken to something unexpected and life-changing.

 

''Hey, Noct,'' he said, with a sense of déjà vu.

 

Noctis dared glance his way. ''What?''

 

Prompto pressed his lips together, fiddled with his shirt, mentally tried to muster up the courage to ask what he wanted to ask. His heart hammered against his chest; the question felt to close to his lips, that it seemed as if he'd said it aloud.

 

_What did it mean when you touched my cheek this morning?_

 

Nothing. It probably meant nothing, and Prompto didn't want to look stupid for thinking it did. Things were already awkward enough; he had to put a lid on this conversation. Trying for a grin, he said: ''Wanna play King's Knight?'' 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, the tags DO say ''mutual pining''. You were warned. Tune in next time!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little gift from me, on this special day ;)
> 
> Remember to tell your loved ones, friends, family, w/e that you love them, and I hope you all get shown appreciation and love today. If not, considering this me giving it to you <3

The roadtrip companions nursed a sense of normalcy between them – playing games and chewing the fat - until their earlier conversation faded to the back of their mind. Unfortunately, the fragile walls they had built between them and the elephant in the room – the growing realization that they had budding feelings for each other – came crashing down when they retreated to their room for the night.

 

There were two beds in the room, and, seeing as they had shared one the night before, the beds stood there like reporters shoving microphones in their faces. _What do you think is in stores for you two? What could this mean for your relationship? What do you plan on doing from here on out?_ Paparazzis were best avoided, but there was no evading the question of the Two Beds.

 

 _No,_ Noctis thought suddenly, _this doesn't have to be weird unless I make it weird._ There was only one way to handle this without risking the precarious balance they had cultivated between each other: act normal. They had shared a bed yesterday because they wanted to; they hadn't felt the need to explain themselves. Today as well, then, they needed neither prelude nor explanation to sleep in the same bed.

 

''Getting in with me today or not?'' Noctis tried to sound as casual as humanely possible, mentally agonizing over how obvious he probably sounded.

 

''Oh,'' Prompto said, blinking. He hadn't perceived the forced nonchalance in Noctis' voice, and, instead, eagerly accepted the suggestion with a sigh of relief. Noctis stepping up to the plate told Prompto that he'd been the only one overthinking things. Following his example, Prompto grinned as he answered: ''Yeah, sure! I better stock up on Noctis lovin' before we go back tomorrow, huh?''

 

A simple, flirtatious remark, like the many Prompto peppered in their regular conversations: calling Noctis his _hero_ , for instance, or slapping him on the ass. It meant nothing. A blush crept up Noctis' ears regardless, until the reminder of their imminent departure put a damper on his thoughts. Noctis had given their road trip two more days, including today; in other words, they would head back in the afternoon tomorrow. Considering how far they had made it from the Crown City, the drive back would almost take a day. They couldn't dawdle: Ignis awaited, with a stern speech, no doubt, along with the rest of Noctis' kingdom.

 

''Right...'', Noctis muttered. ''I forgot we were leaving so soon. The trip went by so fast.''

 

''Well, time flies when you're having fun!'' Prompto pulled his shirt over his head. ''The truest of all clichés. Is this the part where we reminisce and get all emotional?''

 

''Hell no. I'm going to sleep.'' Noctis crawled under the sheets. ''Try not to hog the covers too much.''

 

''I will do my damnedest, but I _am_ a certified blanket-hogger.''

 

''Good night, Prompto.''

 

''Goodnight, Noct.''

 

***

 

The last day of their roadtrip went as smoothly as their last night: they squeezed in a bit of sightseeing, picture-taking, and shopping, returning to the Regalia as the afternoon sun bore down on them. They stuffed what little they had packed in the trunk, along with souvenirs for their friends back home – Noctis had bought Ignis a little something in hopes that it would appease his retainer's anger.

 

Noctis slammed the trunk shut, and that was that. Time to go. The king slipped in the driver's seat, and threw one last, sweeping look at their surroundings, before keying on the ignition. The Regalia purred to life; the familiar, soft roar of it put Noctis at ease. Enjoy the ride, it seemed to say, although the end of their trip drew near. Noctis was tempted to pat the dashboard lovingly. _Ol' girl._

 

Noctis turned to his passenger. ''Ready?''

 

''Good to go,'' Prompto replied.

 

And so, they drove off, leaving adventure for the road home. The scenery drifted by like frames in a movie reel: a feature-length production on their little escapade. _What an anticlimactic end,_ Noctis thought as he entertained the idea of the movie. Would anyone sit through a movie like that? Two friends run away from their responsibilities, have their fill of fun, and go back home. It lacked something. A final scene in which they did something crazy, say, drive off a cliff like Thelma and Louise – bad example, but, something as exciting or touching.

 

Eyes fixed on the road, Noctis gave the thought some serious consideration. Was there anything he would add to this trip to make it perfect? Did he really need a spectacular, movie-worthy ending? The trip had been more fun than he had imagined, and, he'd even come out of it determined to perform his royal duties. It was an all-around success, even if it didn't end with a bang.

 

A coming-of-age flick, then, about the boy who matures during the course of a journey? Yeah, ok. He could settle for that. A bit boring, though. A bit vanilla. But he could settle for it.

 

Why then, did the question still nag him?

 

_Do I have any regrets?_

 

The nauseating feeling of having forgotten something, of driving headlong into a future that carried regrets that could have been avoided, gnawed at Noctis' stomach. He glanced at Prompto, chattering obliviously in the passenger seat, and knew that his dilemma lay there. A beacon sending off loud, glaring signals that Noctis couldn't ignore any longer. The roadtrip had made that clear: waking quiet doubts that had always slumbered in his heart, and holding them up to the light of day. This trip had also been an opportunity, albeit one that was about to expire.

 

That much, Noctis knew: if he didn't act now, he wouldn't get another chance. It was more of a feeling, really, a tad theatrical at that. It made sense nonetheless. When they returned to Insomnia, their routine would swallow them up until they didn't have the time nor the space to explore _this –_ whatever it was that hung between them.

 

 _I'm getting ahead of myself_ , Noctis thought. _It's not 'us'. It's just me._ Despite the _sous-entendus_ in the conversation they had tiptoed through yesterday, Noctis was quite convinced that Prompto didn't harbour feelings beyond friendship towards him. The boy was too girl-crazy, for one—and hey, if they both had feelings for each other, surely they would've realized by now. Mutual pining wasn't a thing that existed outside shitty fanfics after all.

 

So, as Noctis turned the matter around in his head for the hundredth time, he came to the following conclusion: he had two options. Forget the whole thing, and hope that the regret he felt at the missed opportunity would fade, or go out in a blaze of fire—and confess. Risk it all. Risk losing his best friend, his confidant, and his ally for the minimal chance at _more._ That mystifying, tempting word. A mirage shimmering in the desert.

 

It couldn't be worth it. Noctis felt his courage dwindle before he even began to muster it. Never mind that he'd done countless, riskier things in his lifetime: this was where he drew the line. This was where his nerves failed him. Barring some godly intervention – some sign, or other – that confessing was the right thing to do, he would keep this to himself.

 

Suddenly, the Regalia began sputtering, and it was dragging to a slow halt by the time Noctis snapped out of his torpor. Prompto stopped talking beside him, while Noctis blinked, and asked: ''What the—''

 

Noctis glanced at the gas meter: the Regalia was bone dry. He'd been too absorbed in his thoughts to notice.

 

''Huh,'' Prompto said next to him. ''Looks like the ol' girl doesn't wanna go back, yet.''

 

Noctis blinked, gripping the wheel with a sense of the surreal permeating reality. He'd asked for a sign, but this was a little on the nose. Blinking again, he swept his gaze over the dashboard. _Never thought a car would be my wingman. But you've been good to me, so I'll trust you on this one._

 

Noctis' heart thundered against his chest. He opened his mouth to speak: ''Pr—''

 

''I guess we call Cindy, then? We're pretty close to Hammerhead, she could tow us back to the station.''

 

Noctis clammed up, feeling like a bucket of icy water had been dumped on his head. For a moment, he stared at the dashboard, dumbfounded, until he formed the thoughts, _so that was a reminder, not a sign, huh?_ Nodding slowly, he said: ''Yeah, I'll call her.''

 

He pulled out his phone, and spoke mechanically into the line. Cindy promised to be there as quickly as possible, and he spent the time waiting for her staring into space. He made scarce, uni-syllable responses to Prompto's conversation, while psyching himself back into a good mood. A normal mood. Not this silly, groundless sulking. He had harboured hope that Prompto would accept his confession for all of three seconds; getting upset over this made no sense. And yet, he _was_ upset.

 

''Hey, y'all!'' Cindy called out to them as her tow-truck rolled into view. She hopped out of the driver's seat, waving at them with a brilliant smile. ''Mind helping me hook up this beauty to the truck?''

 

Noctis and Prompto helped out, and rode to Hammerhead with Cindy. While Prompto and Cindy made lively conversation, Noctis brooded the entire time – knowing full-well how immature he was acting, yet unable and unwilling to do anything about it. They filled up on gas in Hammerhead, and ate dinner with Cindy, before hitting the road once again.

 

From there on, it was about an hour drive to Insomnia, and, for the first time, Noctis was actually looking forward to getting there. To ending this.

 

''Man...,'' Prompto sighed suddenly. ''Heh. That was something.''

 

A little voice in the back of Noctis' head told him that he should make an effort to reply, so he did. ''What?''

 

''Cindy. I didn't feel a thing for her.'' Prompto spoke softly, with a little, introspective smile gracing his lips. His golden hair fluttered in the soon-evening breeze. ''It was kind of amazing. I could talk to her so _naturally_. After what happened the last time we saw her, I guess I got over her.''

 

The Regalia drove and drove; Noctis stared at the road, feeling the engine purr. It seemed to be saying: _Didn't you say you were going to trust me, you ungrateful king?_

 

_Yeah, ok. I'm sorry. I'll trust you for real this time._

 

Noctis pulled over.

 

Looking around, Prompto blinked, and asked: ''Something wrong, Noct? The ol' girl isn't stalling again, is she?'' He still had that dreamy look in his big, blue eyes.

 

''She's fine,'' Noctis said, turning in his seat to look at Prompto. Looking at his friend's face – the all too familiar features, dear to him like the man himself – Noctis knew he had to do this. Even if it didn't end well, he owed it to himself. He owed it to Prompto to – hiding this wouldn't be fair. Lying to him, pretending he didn't feel _this,_ wouldn't be right. He had to do it. But how?

 

The answer came to him all too easily: there really was only one way.

 

Noctis leaned forward – he felt the tremor of Prompto's lips as he pressed them into a kiss.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be the last.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! Happy Valentine's Day <3


	6. Chapter 6

It was a simple touch of the lips; neither of them moving, Noctis pressing his lips against Prompto's gently. It was as chaste as a first kiss could be, yet Noctis felt it change him like the answer to a question he had spent his life asking.

 

When he pulled away, and the magic of the moment faded, Noctis grew cold. Maybe kissing Prompto hadn't been the best way to go after all? It was both their firsts: he should have given the blond a chance to choose for himself. A lunch non-date with Cindy had spooked Prompto into getting over the girl entirely; what if it happened this time, too? Why had this seemed like such a good idea a minute ago?

 

Noctis caught a glimpse of Prompto's baffled expression, and made his way fully into freak-out mode. ''I—Oh, shit—Prompto, I'm sorry—''

 

Prompto made no answer for a moment, then, all at once, a furious blush spread over his face. He covered his mouth, cracking a smile – he seemed on the verge of a nervous giggle fit. ''It's—It's ok. W-what was that about?''

 

Noctis stared at him, relieved that the sky hadn't fallen on their heads, for one, but mostly stopping on Prompto's question. Knowing the boy's confidence, Prompto could easily think that Noctis had done it to mess with him – never mind that Noctis would never do that to anyone. Noctis couldn't let that stand; there was nothing to say but the truth. ''I like you.''

 

While Prompto went on short-circuiting, Noctis added: ''A lot. I realized it during our trip, but if I'm being honest—I must've liked you for a long time.''

 

Noctis couldn't possibly pinpoint when it had been, or what had done it. Had it been when they met as high school students, and Prompto treated him like a normal boy instead of a prince? Could it have been during their journey through Lucis, when Prompto's unwavering loyalty and enthusiasm had made the grimmest of days bearable? Neither of those were the sole answer: the many times they had shared, the many, wonderful qualities that Prompto brought into Noctis' life, they all went into the equation. Their road trip had been the final, missing factor.

 

''You...,'' Prompto finally uttered, speaking the words like they made no sense to him, ''...you like me?''

 

''I do.''

 

''But you're a king—and I'm not—I'm a commoner.'' Prompto brushed his hand over his wrist subconsciously, where the MT barcode hid underneath his gloves. Another thing he believed put an insurmountable barrier between them.

 

Noctis didn't budge an inch, speaking in the same decisive tone he had once used to reassure Prompto that the circumstances of his birth couldn't matter less to him. ''I don't see how that's a problem.''

 

''Ah—'' Prompto paused, rubbing his neck as he smiled nervously. ''Come on, Noct, you have to know it wouldn't be— _allowed_ , right?''

 

''Is that all you're worried about?'' Prompto was right: the king dating a man of common birth would certainly raise questions. Nevertheless, Noctis _was_ king. Whoever disagreed with his choices could try pulling a coup, or something, and die impaled on one of his thirteen royal arms. Quite a vividly violent image, Noctis realized, but this was the one thing he wouldn't give up. He had fought for his kingdom, for what others wanted of him; now, he was prepared to fight for what _he_ wanted. If Prompto worried strictly about the repercussions, then, Noctis didn't see a problem. ''What about how _you_ feel?''

 

Prompto looked dumbfounded, as if he hadn't even considered the question. He averted his eyes after a moment, blushing a few shades darker. ''You're...being serious right now, right?''

 

Noctis could hardly believe that Prompto still doubted it. ''Yeah, I am. I could kiss you again to prove it, if you want.'' He could also hardly believe that he'd just said that out loud.

 

''That...,'' Prompto said slowly, glancing at Noctis furtively, ''might be nice.''

 

Noctis' eyes went wide, and his stomach flipped over. Prompto's response meant so many things: reciprocation of Noctis' feelings, possibly, and permission to kiss him again. Suddenly the action seemed daunting, and Noctis wondered how he had managed it earlier without a hint of hesitation. He must have gone temporarily insane. He knew that there was no room for hesitation now, however, and he asked: ''Are you sure?''

 

Extra safety, as compensation for the kiss he had stolen before.

 

Prompto nodded, still looking anywhere but at Noctis.

 

Noctis swallowed: this was it. He reached out, resting his hand on top of Prompto's. The light touch brought Prompto's eyes to snap towards him, and Noctis gazed into them before he leaned in.

 

Almost in a gasp, Prompto opened his mouth slightly as their lips met, and the way their breaths mingled made them both dizzy. Noctis' fingers slipped between Prompto's as he deepened their kiss – opening and closing his mouth on Prompto's lower lip.

 

Prompto's free hand inched towards Noctis, grabbing onto Noctis' shirt. He didn't know anything anymore save for the feeling of Noctis' lips. His kiss was the only thing Prompto knew – the only thing that existed, and, through the haze that blanketed his mind, Prompto knew that he could live on the kiss alone.

 

Noctis kissed the corner of Prompto's lips before he pulled away, looking at Prompto through hooded eyes. His breathing was a mess, his cheeks were warm, and his head was full with Prompto. Their hands were still linked together, like the meeting point on a bridge they had just crossed. Noctis' voice failed him, and he waited, dizzy with touch, until Prompto let out:

 

''That was...'', he trailed off, swallowing. He couldn't find a word to describe how the kiss had felt. He managed to meet Noctis' eyes, and they looked at each other for a while.

 

Then, in a breath, Noctis said, ''I'll do it however many times you want. What do you say?''

 

Prompto remained quiet, thinking over the meaning behind Noctis' question. He felt the familiar warmth of Nocti's fingers between his, and he gave them a squeeze. He tried to sound inane as he said: ''I guess we'll have something to tell Iggy and Gladio when we get back.''

 

A smile spread Noctis' lips, and it carried into his kiss.

 

Only when they finally started back on the road home did their hands part, and, by then, they knew it was fine. They still had things to figure out, doubts to dispel, questions to answer, but they were content figuring them out as they went along. The Regalia purred underneath them; the road stretched ahead – endless with possibilities.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaand that's all she wrote (im she) 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this cheesy lil' fic, and I'm so grateful to those who read/left kudos/commented <3
> 
> Now, I leave it to you to imagine Ignis and Gladio's reactions...buuut I see it something like this: Ignis loses his shit at Noctis for leaving his post --> Noctis announces his engagement (lmao) --> Ignis is quiet for a moment, then says ''I'm happy for u but ur still in for a world of pain u brat''


End file.
